by Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports

by Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports

Best performance by a supporting coach: Bruce Arians. When first-year Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano left to undergo treatment for leukemia, the offensive coordinator stepped up as interim coach and decided to leave the light on in his boss's office. Pagano came back to a squad that Arians guided to a surprising playoff berth. And now there's no better choice for Coach of the Year honors.

Worst timing for an injury: Alex Smith. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback, who took his team to the NFC title game last season, was among the most efficient passers when he suffered a concussion in Week 10. He even finished the touchdown drive after getting knocked woozy against the St. Louis Rams. Then he lost his starting job when coach Jim Harbaugh switched to second-year pro Colin Kaepernick. Makes you wonder if some players might try harder to hide concussion symptoms.

Best fresh start:Peyton Manning. After four neck procedures forced him to miss the entire 2011 season, the NFL's only four-time MVP was cut by the Colts last spring. Yes, even the best of them can get dumped -- and become the most desired free agent since Reggie White. Manning landed with the Denver Broncos, lured by Hall of Famer John Elway. With the Broncos careening toward the playoffs with an NFL-longest 10-game winning streak, Manning is having yet another MVP campaign.

Best successor: Andrew Luck. How lucky is Colts owner Jim Irsay? After more than a decade with Manning as the face of his franchise, the Colts wind up with Luck as the new franchise quarterback. Luck has only led the Colts to the playoffs, set the NFL's single-season rookie passing record and showed quite the knack for last-minute comebacks.

Worst prediction: Ryan Kalil. The Panthers center fueled optimism when he purchased a full-page ad in The Charlotte Observer and in an open letter told fans to expect a Super Bowl championship season. He was a bit premature. Although they have played well down the stretch, the Panthers flopped as a contender -- and Kalil wound up rehabbing from a season-ending foot injury.

Best example for following the rules: Dez Bryant. With a series of off-the-field issues threatening to derail his enormous talent -- including a since-settled domestic assault matter stemming from a July incident that involved his mother -- the third-year Cowboys receiver agreed to a set of team-influenced lifestyle rules designed to foster focus. It has worked. Bryant has blossomed into a game-breaking star, putting up career-best numbers for catches (88), yards (1,311) and TDs (12) that reflect improved consistency in executing his instructions from the playbook.

Worst scandal: Bountygate. In March, the NFL announced results from a three-year investigation that uncovered a bounty system with the New Orleans Saints inspired by indefinitely-suspended former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. But over several months, the NFL's case got weaker and weaker amid player challenges and revelations of a sloppy investigation. This month, former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, serving as arbitrator, vacated the punishment that successor Roger Goodell prescribed for four players, raising even more questions. The matter still isn't finished, with linebacker Jonathan Vilma's pending defamation suit against Goodell.

Best conversion:Ray Rice, fourth-and-29. Staring at a loss at the San Diego Chargers in Week 12, the Baltimore Ravens running back took a check-down pass from Joe Flacco -- a check-down pass! -- and weaved his way around at least a half-dozen defenders to get a first down that saved the day. The Ravens won in overtime, and on Sunday clinched another AFC North title.

Worst officiating blunder: Fail Mary. There was some good that came out of the bizarre ending to the Seattle Seahawks last-second victory against the Green Bay Packers in Week 3, when replacement officials wiped out M.D. Jennings' apparent interception by ruling receiver Golden Tate had simultaneous possession. The ensuing outrage inspired the NFL to increase its offer to the locked-out regular officials, which resulted in a new labor deal in a matter of days.

Best way to bust a myth: Megatron beats Madden Curse. Detroit Lions star Calvin Johnson was featured on the cover of the Madden 13 video game, a high-profile slot that has sometimes coincided with misfortune. Not for Johnson, aka Megatron, who broke Jerry Rice's single-season NFL record for receiving yards and heads into Week 17 poised to become the first receiver to crack 2,000 yards. What curse? Ok, there's still the Lions Curse to overcome. A year after making the playoffs, Detroit is 4-11, stumbling with a seven-game losing streak that underscored the need to throw the football ... while playing from behind.

Best new star presence: RGIII. The Washington Redskins mortgaged their future in a trade with the Rams for the chance to select Robert Griffin III with the second pick overall. Now they have a bright future, built around their dynamic quarterback, and a chance for the franchise to seize its first division title since 1999. As a bonus, Griffin brings an enormous appeal as a megastar -- his jersey is the top seller in the NFL and politicians from both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill have jumped on the bandwagon.

Best draft value: Russell Wilson. What do you do when you can't draft Luck or RGIII? The Seahawks selected Wilson in the third round, 75th overall. He won the starting job by beating out prized free agent Matt Flynn, and has since proven to be quite a bargain. Wilson triggers the offense for a team that became the first to score 50 points in back-to-back games since the 1950 Los Angeles Rams. And, the Seahawks are in the playoffs.

Worst role on a reality show: Chad Johnson. You figured that one of the NFL's most recognizable personalities would be featured prominently when HBO's Hard Knocks documentary series spent training camp with the Miami Dolphins. Yet the storyline became so unfortunate as the man formerly known as Chad Ochocinco was arrested for domestic assault after an incident with his new wife, Evelyn Lozada. This became too much for new Miami coach Joe Philbin and led to Johnson becoming the most recognizable NFL personality ever cut during a reality-TV episode. It seemed fitting, given that Johnson creatively developed into a household name with one stunt after another. It also seems that it was Johnson's final act as an NFL player, the drama undoubtedly a factor as no team signed him following his release from the Dolphins.

Best comeback:Adrian Peterson. After tearing the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee on Christmas eve 2011, the Minnesota Vikings star declared he would return better than ever. Here's to positive thinking, but that was some tall order. The lesson now? Never doubt Peterson, maybe better than ever in record time after reconstructive knee surgery. He's poised to become the seventh player to rush for 2,000 yards and aims to break Eric Dickerson's 1984 single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards. Peterson is 208 yards from breaking that. There's no need to doubt him now.

Worst comeback: Ben Roethlisberger. The table seemed set for the Pittsburgh Steelers to make a mad dash to the playoffs, after their marquee quarterback returned from a three-game layoff after shoulder and rib injuries. Instead, Roethlisberger showed that it's not so automatic to get back into the flow. The Steelers have lost all three games since Roethlisberger's return -- including the past two, when his crunchtime interceptions set up the game-winning field goals -- and are eliminated from playoff contention.

Best way to 'phase out' a receiver: Wes Welker. Remember when the New England Patriots were supposedly phasing out the blitz-busting slot receiver from their offense? Welker is third in the NFL with 110 catches for 1,260 yards and has become the first player in league history to post five 100-catch seasons.

Best vegan: Tony Gonzalez. The 16th-year Atlanta Falcons tight end must have this thing about showing age or wear and tear. Gonzalez, 36, had another all-pro season, second among NFL tight ends with 88 catches, including 8 TDs. He must be living right and eating well in what he says is his last season. Let's see if he can help the Falcons finally get over the hump to win a championship and ride off in style.

Worst hype: Tim Tebow. A bad idea from the start for the New York Jets braintrust, which traded for Tebow and declared him a Wildcat option behind Mark Sanchez. Instead, controversy, aided by Sanchez's funk and the Big Apple spotlight. Tebow is headed for a ticket out of town. The Jets got their money's worth for buzz. But all attention isn't necessarily good.

Worst ending to a record streak: Drew Brees. The Saints quarterback broke Johnny Unitas' record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass (47) and extended the streak to 54 games while trying to rally the team for a playoff push. Then the streak ended. Badly. Brees had his first career five-interception game in a Week 13 loss at Atlanta that essentially squashed the Saints' playoff hopes.